Running Back To You
by Jatd4ever
Summary: Various servants passed Jane in the hallway, flashing looks of concern. Jane on regular occasions would have greeted them all, but she had no time to waste. As if they were not even there, Jane's speed walking turned into running, not caring how unlady like it looked. (Jane/Gunther)


***I don't own Jane and the Dragon or its characters**

**Special thanks to Amelle Kyre and to SailorWednesdayMercury for their updates as well as to their great fics. Thank you so much! Hope you like this!**

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"Would not Sir Gunther wonder where you are?"

"Of course not. He left for patrol a few hours ago. The way I think about this is that we still have a little time left"

"You better be prepared"

Lady Jane was two turns away from winning, she was sure if it. Jester eyed the pawn she guarded so fervently, teasing about who she was thinking about. Jane only laughed and waited for the fool to make his move since he thought out every move carefully. Right in the middle of her turn, the new chamber maid, Mary, ran in looking frantic and apologetic. "Forgive me for the intrusion my lady, but I bring terrible news"

"If it concerns those misplaced leggings then there is no harm done" teased Jester

Flashing Jester a look of disapproval, Jane urged the young maid to continue. Coming closer to the aged lady knight, she lowered her voice. "No my lady, it is about Sir Gunther. Dragon had brought him with broken leg and a few minor cuts"

The pawn in Jane's right hand fell to the floor causing the frightened maid to shudder. Taking a deep breath, Jane asked calmly "Have his wounds been looked at yet?"

"To my knowledge Smithy was tending to it"

"You may go now Mary"

"Yes my lady" said Mary with a bow before she ran off to who knows where.

Standing up, Jane sighed, apologetic that their monthly game would have to be postponed. With a bow, Jane left the room leaving Jester to put away the left over pieces. Various servants passed Jane in the hallway, flashing looks of concern. Jane on regular occasions would have greeted them all, but she had no time to waste. As if they were not even there, Jane's speed walking turned into running, not caring how unlady like it looked.

She was stopped by Jethro the second in the stables, alerting her that Gunther's wounds were not as bad as they had thought. She was further reassured when she asked Smithy if it was all true. Though Smithy was not sure what had occurred, he filled Jane in on the details Dragon had provided. Jane would never have never admitted it, but she was ready to take down the louse who had hurt her fellow knight. However what had really occurred, at least according to Dragon was that he heard the sound of Gunther's dragon whistle and found him at the bottom of a hill, holding on to his leg, yelling out in pain.

After Gunther's wounds were treated, he was brought to Jane's tower. Jane did not enter the tower till her heart calmed to a steady beat. Upon entering, he was sitting upright, sipping something which she could only assume was a tonic to ease the pain. She did not ask for his permission to keep him company, but shut the door and stood by the window, looking for something to say. The sun burned the sky scarlet, adding to the ominous mood, but Jane did not want to let circumstance to ruin what she called a nice day. "Just look at that sun, it just seems it would go on forever."

There was a pause in Jane's voice, but she soon recovered. The thought of the situation was somewhat humorous, yet a bit frustrating. "What about us? How did we get this far? You get hurt and I come running like a chicken with its head cut off and for what? To see you laying in my bed perfectly fine despite all I heard. However, if I would have gone with you then this would have never happened"

The smell of dried lavender in the corners of the room brought a bloom of memories to Jane, the kind that make you feel all warm and melancholic. Turning away from the window, she cast her eyes on her fellow comrade, trying not to cry. Instead, she was felt happiness spread through her like a blanket, comforting. "I remember back to the time when I was so excited to see you and could not stop myself from running toward you through the field of blooming lavender, and we were enveloped by the sweet smell of nostalgia as I stared at your face. You used to be so affection, but I guess things have cooled with time have they not. You must think me a silly woman to confess such things at a time like this

In the background, Gunther sat up in bed sporting a freshly made splint. He was extremely annoyed at the not only because he felt cold, but he thought it unfair how Jane was standing comfortably near the fire while he was going bedridden for the next couple of weeks. Pulling a burr from his hair, he was not in the best of moods."You mean all the times you glared at me, there is a difference" he commented

Moving away from the window, she settled down into a chair, assessing the damage."You used to be so young, now look at you, you are falling apart"

Sure it seemed there were new wrinkles by the day from stress but by no means was he old. "You are not exactly a babe yourself"

Taking a comb, she managed to pull out a few more burrs with every pass. "And your hair used to be as dark as the night but now I just cannot decide if it is light black or gray"

"Do not talk like I am dead, I only fell down a hill and broke my leg"

Pulling out small twigs and flower petals, she could only imagine what happened "I see that you were trying to return to your roots"

"It is not funny"

"And you went through a field of flowers which explains why you smell like a flower threw to on you. I dare say you have never smelled so sweet"

Throwing a pillow at her, he smirked "Jane do not make me have to get out of this bed, I swear I use every pillow I have"

Taking a clean cloth moistened with lavender water, agree scrubbed as he ranted on about his old horse and how it was time for a new one. Jane only nodded as she wiped away the dirt from his cooler bone to his cheeks. Squirming at the touch of her fingertips upon his face as she cleaned, he winced when the cloth passed over the small bruise on his right cheek. "That hurts"

"If you stay still then perhaps we can have a day where I do not have to threaten to have Dragon charcoal you. So Sir Knight, what is it that you want? All I am trying to do is make you laugh but I see that today is going to be another one of those days"

"What I could really use perhaps is a little peace and quiet"

From the look of his leg, Jane could tell that he was going to be in a sour mood no matter what she did. Standing up, she was ready to leave and perhaps help Pepper in the kitchen, but Gunther was not exactly finished with her yet. "Come here"

"Why?"

"Just come here"

Sitting on the side of the bed, she obeyed, waiting for whatever was to occur. He leaned on her shoulder, groaning in pain. She waiting till his breathing became regular again, and proceeded to ask what it was he wanted. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he drew her closer, despite her protest. "The fire may be hot but it cannot keep me warm like you" he said with a certain mischievous tone

"I am sure you say that to all the ladies"

"Over my dead body"

"You know that could always be arranged"

Playing with a curl, he started to make small small braids, he found it amusing how they would undo themselves. Even after so many years, her hair was just as stubborn as it always had been but he always loved it. He smiled at the thought of all the times she used to curse him with that fire in her eyes that beguiled him. "When you talk threatening to me, it really does make me feel young"

Those gray eyes of his were persuasive in a way that was incorrect. He might have been looking a little more gray headed as of late, but he was every bit as handsome as always, perhaps even more so. He wore his age like a fine tunic, but his appeal more like a fine wine, and it was disturbing how he could hold her attention like that after so many years of memorizing his face. "You talk as of you are getting old" she teased

"Are you kidding? I swear I must have three new gray hairs because of you"

He always seemed to find something to be upset about, but it was endearing when it concerned her. "Really? And what have I done to cause this sudden aging?"

"Just thinking that you are going going to attend the ball tomorrow without me. And I had been working so hard to perfect my new dance moves"

"Do you think I am somehow going to replace you? No one can fill your presence or wear that black tunic like you can"

"They better not"

Taking hold of his hand, she kissed the top of it, hoping to calm him. "Your hands and mine are already too well acquainted, and they just fit together. Sometimes I start too shiver with excitement when the draft passes through the room and wonder if you will still barge into my room demanding a rematch. Do you believe we are way past all that foolishness? I say not since you still find things to tease me about even to this day. You really do add a little flavor to my day with that sarcasm of yours, how do you do it?"

"I always thought you hated that"

"It was annoying most of the time, but not always. You used to be so terribly bitter and I thought that no kindness or warmth could be within you but that made me even more surprised when I discovered that you were the essence of warmth and I the exclusive receiver of your kindness. Your eyes are my happiness and your smile the breath of my life. And sometimes when I look at you there are no words to describe how I feel about you, but I know it is there and it always has been."

"Jane, you really make it hard to say this, but there were times when I really could not bare to look at you."

"I know"

"It took me too long to realize that what we had was different from what I preferred or was used to. Whatever it was that I felt at the beginning, I knew it had to be you."

Snuggling up closer, she laid her head upon his chest, his steady heartbeat ever so beautiful like bird song. Brushing a kiss on her forehead, he chuckled "Are you comfortable"

"Very much so, but there are so many things to do and I do not have that much time. I have a meeting with the Queen to discuss tomorrow's arrangements"

"And what could be more important then attending to me?"

"I still have my duties you know. Say, this is going to be the second time I miss the ball because of you."

"You better be prepared for next time when I dazzle you with my new technique"

Barging in, Mary whistled happily until she noticed Gunther and Jane looking all cozy and intimate. She dropped the basket of clean laundry and apologized profusely, her face as red as a beet "My lady I did not mean...I did not mean..."

She ran out just as fast as she came him, much to their amusement. "I really need to teach her to knock. Hey, do you still remember, you know, when things became different?" Asked Jane

"Do you mean that one time thirty years ago?"

"Yes"

"It must have been because you finally realized how handsome I was"

Flicking him on the forehead, she laughed "No, not exactly"

"Then what was it?"

"Remember, we got into an argument about how destructive Dragon was"

"You were planning on leaving"

"For starters Gunther, you said you wanted me to leave, but your eyes told me a different story. Back then ,I thought if I did not have fight with you anymore then all my problems would be solved, but it was when I tried to hand back my wooden sword to Sir Theodore, I found myself not able to let it go. That piece of wood, no matter how simple it was was all I had of you and I did not want to let it all go. Sure you called me a liar the next couple of days and I wanted to punch you in the face, but everything just felt right. We went on like we always were, but I knew you really did not want me to leave. The only reason we fought that day was because you were jealous of how much attention the other guys were receiving"

"How is it that you remember all the bad things? Back then I had a reputation to keep and it was not like you were giving me any signs of your affection"

"I was only 12 at the time, and was more focused on my future as a knight. The childish things we did when we were young are surprisingly my fondest memories. I do remember other things, like how it feels when you leave on your missions, it feels a bit empty here."

"I sometimes wonder if I deserve it"

Tracing the scar that ran across his left arm, she felt thankful for such a person to have been born. "If anything, you deserve more then I could ever give you. I do not like how you challenge me by calling me a lair. I am not sure I would still be here if you were not next to me on the battlefield. Because of you this is home, and no matter where you are, I will always run back to you."

"It is always a comfort to know I have an ally among enemies. For now though I cannot exactly run or walk, but that does not mean you can run around and cavort with the servants."

"Those servants are my friends. I swear, the older I get the more jealous you get "

"And not only that, I have seen how sailors look at you when you visit the wharf."

"You are going to get more gray hairs if you worry so much you beef brain. Do not worry, I have my sword and a Dragon, I doubt anyone is going to ambush me."

"Jane, this is not over"

With one kiss, she silenced him. "I think I won this argument. Now settle down, and I will fetch us some supper"

"Is this how you treat all the guys?"

Standing at the door, she looked back at him, her smile warm and sincere."Of course not, this is only how I treat my husband"

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